January Holidays
Now I don’t know about you but we have never gone on holiday in January.
To me it has never made sense because I’ve always had at least a couple of days off over the Christmas and New Year period.
Why would you want to go on holiday just a couple of weeks later?
January is always the longest month for me, and likely for you too. I know it has 31 days like other months but it always feels sooo long.
November and December may be long and cold months but they fly by because of the planning and anticipation we have for Christmas and New Year.
Once all the festivities are over it feels like we have little to look forward to other than a January diet and a no alcohol month. Not fun.
We even have Blue Monday to explain why we feel so blue during January.
Changing Things Up
This year we did something we’ve never done before. We booked a week away in January.
The primary reason for this holiday was location hunting for our new home.
Although our week away was very much a working holiday, it has definitely made January feel very different. Not long at all in fact.
Because we had the holiday booked we didn’t start any new year diets. We haven’t done a non alcohol challenge either.
We don’t often do one in January precisely because it’s such a tough month.
February on the other hand feels much shorter and brighter so is ripe for any diet or alcohol challenge we feel like doing.
Holiday Highlights
Having that January holiday to look forward to has made all the difference this month.
Coupled with the planning and preparations needed I haven’t had time to think about whether this month has been a long one.
If you haven’t had a holiday in January (and the old me wouldn’t expect you to) then why not start looking? It doesn’t need to be an expensive holiday you plan, ours was very much at the frugal end of holidays.
But thinking about and planning a holiday for later in the year can take away those January blues and I can heartily recommend doing so. If you are a super planner you could even plan a holiday for next January!
January is often a peak time for people booking holidays so there are plenty of deals to be had if you take the time now to investigate and start planning your holiday.
Holiday Planning
When you live a frugal life, holiday planning can mean getting more creative with your money to find the extra pennies for that holiday.
You might not be able to afford an exotic holiday abroad but that’s OK because holidays come in all shapes and sizes according to your budget.
Camping is easy on your budget as is a self catering apartment or cottage. We always book self catering accommodation when we travel to The Lake District.
It means we can be our usual frugal selves with our food budget and how we plan our days out.
If you are planning a holiday why not check out these posts for help and inspiration?
2020 Money Saving Challenge – Inspire Your Frugal Life Today
How To Be Frugal: 200+ Best Frugal Living Tips To Try Today
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Last Updated on 13th September 2020 by Emma
LOL.
I’m just finishing a 5 week holiday. I go back to work on Jan 29.
Of course, it’s summer here.
Five weeks! So jealous. The longest I ever achieved was 3.5 weeks and it was a shock to the system on my first day back at work for sure. Yeah, January in the UK is very different to January down under, I think the month would go by much quicker in hot weather versus the usual dreary, wet days we get.
Apart from when I had been made redundant, the only other time I’ve had extended time off in January was when I had special dispensation to carry over 8 days’ holiday. I didn’t go anywhere, just stayed at home but the extended break was great for recharging batteries. I tend to go away for Christmas so can’t really justify (or afford) another trip so soon!
Speaking of holidays, I’ve already booked a long weekend away for later in the year and will soon be booking my main long-haul holiday for the summer. I can’t say that either will be frugal holidays but both are accounted for!
Hi Weenie! Extended breaks are great for recharging ones batteries aren’t they? A break over Christmas is why we’ve never been away in January before but the need to pin down our new location in Cumbria made it sensible to go away early doors.
Nice one on getting ahead with your holiday planning. Being frugal with your money means you don’t necessarily need to be frugal with your holidays – your long hauls are usually not too bad anyway given you are visiting family – the best reason for a good holiday!